Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Being aware of the importance of paying attention to students who have various kinds of learning disabilities,we have had the privilege of being one of five school that participated in the "Learning Disabilties Workshops" organized by ARC (Arab Resource Collective) and delivered by Dr. Ahmad Oueini, Dr. Katia Hazouri from November till March.
The program was divided into two parts: General Sessions about different aspects and topics related to learning disabilities.They were five sessions delivered by Dr. Oueini, Dr. Katia Hazouri, and many guest speakers who are specialists in this field.
The second part offered a first hand opportunity of putting all that was discussed theoratically in practice. Mrs. Zeina Shehab and Miss Hoda Shaaban visited the centres of both Dr. Oueini and Dr. Katia and worked with children who have learning disabilities. These intensive sessions were given by Mrs. Rola Baadarani for the English part and Dr. Katia for the Arabic part. The aim was establish an approach to teaching these kids at our schools and empowering teachers with the tools for that.
On Monday, June 29th and in the presence of president Amine Al Daouk, Khalil Shehab Primary School hosted the last event of this project. After the completion of the above sessions, the certificates of completion and participation were given to the participants of various schools. An overview of the objectives of the projects and the follow-up steps were given. The good news is that this project is only the first step and future plans will follow.
Great Thank You goes to Arab Resource Collective representatives Mrs. May Abou Ajram and Mrs. Maysoun Shehab for this valuable opportunity ,and also to Dr. Ahmad Oueini, Dr. Katia Hazouri, Mrs. Rola Baadarani and everyone who made the project a very fruitful one indeed.

Monday, June 29, 2009

It was such a great opportunity to share our experience and knowledge as teachers of English Language while attending presentations and workshops and exchanging views at the Third Makassed English Language Teachers' Conference "Enriching Lives through Creative and Effective Teaching" which was held this year in Bekaa on June 26 and 27th.
Various topics were discussed such as, Approaches to Teaching Vocabulary, Professional Development, Getting Students to Think Outside the Box, Motivation, Writing Modules, Community Building and many more. The variety of topics ensured that every teacher attending the conference would find a workshop or presentation that is of preference to her thus expanding her knowledge. It was a step forward on the road of professional development.
The teachers did their best to make their presentations very appealing and beneficial. They enriched their work with many examples and activities.
We would like to thank Miss Natasha for this wonderful chance that allowed most Makassed English Language teachers from Beirut, Bekaa, and South to meet again and share together. We would also like to thank the principal of Al-Marj School and everyone who made this event a success.

Graduation Speech by Jana Shehab
Now is our graduation time. After nine years it's time to say goodbye. But why do we have to leave? And why should we go when we feel so at home here; our safe place. At Khalil Shehab School, we've learnt to keep our feet on the floor, soil our hands with hard work and let our love for learning soar. We've learnt to use common sense and to clutter our minds with knowledge. We've learnt to speak loudly and proudly when presenting our ideas and never stop asking questions.
The truth we're facing now is that we have to leave our dear school, the school we'll always miss and never forget. As tears are shed and hugs are given out, we feel much grateful and faithful to our school. We promise to keep a warm room in our hearts in which we keep some clover seeds. We grant to take care of them intending to plant them everywhere. No sooner they’ll sprout and bloom all over Lebanon keeping it green, hopeful and prosperous as it was and will always be.
Loads of thanks to Makassed, to our school, to our principal, to our teachers, to our parents, and to everybody who worked hard to help us reach this day. We promise to keep you proud of us. We love you all!

Friday, June 26, 2009

There's no reason why our school year can't have a perfectly fabulous ending!
And so it's the last page on this year's chapter....It's like any interesting book, we don't want the story to end...
CONGRATULATIONS ON A GREAT SCHOOL YEAR!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

YEAR-END READING WRAP-UP
We made it! It's almost summer vacation! We've enjoyed reading many stories during this school year. We selected a scene from our favorite stories and illustrated it. Then we presented it to class and discussed the part we loved most.
Hands down best story was "Days With Frog And Toad".

Friday, June 19, 2009

Thank you for the laughter,
For the good times that we share,
Thanks for always listening,
For trying to be fair.
Thank you for your comfort,
When things are going bad,
Thank you for the shoulder,
To cry on when I'm sad.
This poem is a reminder that
All my life through,
I'll be thanking Heaven
For a Special Dad like you."

We would like to invite you to our End Of Year Show on Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 at Dowwar Al-Shams Theater, Tayyouneh Roundabout- Sami Solh Highway.

It's time to celebrate all of our hard work and accomplishments. Our show will include: flash animation about our school activities- poems- dances- songs by the school chorus- graduation speech- principal's word- graduation ceremony- Makassed Anthem...

We hope you can all come to enjoy this very special celebration. We, the team at Makassed Khalil Shehab School, can't wait to see you there!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

How often would students get to meet an award-winning author, a writer who was a threat to the South African government because her writings would be a chance for people to act out and take a stand?
Our students were offered such a valuable chance by the British Council to meet the award-winning author Mrs. Beverley Naidoo. Mrs. Naidoo visited our school today and met our Grade Six students. She gave a presentation about her different books and her life in South Africa. Her aim was to give students a chance to explore a new world and a new culture. It is a controversial world where racism ruled. She focused on the importance of deleting the stereotypes that were associated with black people long ago and take a stand against racism.
Students interacted actively with her giving their comments. They even had a chance to ask her questions which she was glad to answer.
Reporters from Al- Akhbar Newspaper and Now Lebanon were also present during the presentation.
A special thank you goes to the British Council for such a wonderful opportunity!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

The exploration of a typical school day experienced by students in a different part of the world was an excellent way for our students to understand and appreciate other cultures. This encourgaed them to think about their own routines and ways of life. Students got a chance to compare and contrast these routines with friends just like them living in Alabama, USA. It was a fantastic experience full of excitement and achievements.
We'd like to thank you our friends and we hope to connect again at the beginning of the next school year.